A MISSING INFANT.

NZ Truth, Issue 97, 27 April 1907, Page 6

A MISSING INFANT.

WHERE IS BABY GUNNING?

A Young Man Charged with the Murder.

But Escapes Justice by Taking Poison m the Prison Cell.

A most extraordinary case, with an even more extraordinary ending, came before the Magistrate's Court m Christchurch last Monday, when a young man named Hellyer was charged with the murder' of a child, his own illegitimate. The facts leading un to the charge have been fully related m "Truth" before, and are briefly as follows :

Miss Gunning, whose parents live at Duvanchelle's Bay, went to live at Belfast, where the freezing works are and where there lately happened to be a slaughterman's strike, and there met a young person named Alfred James George Hellyer. Now, Hellyer lived m the city, but tons of good men m the holy but gay city of Chiri&tchurch— the city of prudes and parasitical parsons, and putritanical pimps, and purse-relieving prigs— go out bike-riding into the country districts, and manage to pjet intimate with the modest-looking girls of the particular localities which they visit, and the town chap against the local swain has the best chance every time. This girl evidently got struck on Hellyer, who was a man m a fairly good position m Robert Malcolm and Go's, merchants. He was

GETTING A- GOOD SCREW there, or w.is fouiici io 'je, and, was thought a good rieal of by the management. It is alleged that he got Miss "Gunning into "trouble.' while she. was staying at Belfast, but the rude after happening occured later on, as a matter of. course? It was then, on the very night of her confinement that Miss Gunning came to Christchurch, accompanied by a child, alleged to be another illegitimate. The lady put up at a certain hotel m the city one afternoon, bringing along her other two-year-old child. She was accommodated by an. all right sort of publican who thought she was all right also. The couple, mother and daughter, were accommodated m a fine room up stairs, but a woeful happening occurred during the night, or early m the morning. Sounds of groaning were heard proceedifiF. from a room, and on investigating it was discovered by the landlord, ami his wife, that the woman, was on the floor and a new born infant besMc her. They never expected such a development, of course, 'but the matter was faced and a doctor and nurse sent for. The woman was kept m the hotel fo^ over a week, and it is alleged that though the father of the new arrival was- supposed to pay, and, that the lady had three quid m her possession. The doctor didn't leave that woman until she disgorger) the three "jim"— all the money she had m the world until she applied to her parents. It just shows what competition means, and what greedy, grasping 'graballs exist m Christchurch "m the medical profession. But let us 'get* to the girl. She sent for the alleged father of the child and he strolled round, from Robert Malcolm and Co's m his spare hours. He wouldn't marry her, and merely looked upon

• THEIR. MUTUAL INFANT, ' or allegedly' niutuaLdnfant, with .a stare of ineffable disdain. She sent for him again, and he called again, but he was a stubborn brute was tlellyer and nothing happened. But he sdon began to tumble that something might happen and he pleaded to the girl that she should hand over the little boy to him. Up to this the whole of the matters connected witji the unfortunate liaison hail teen reported m '"Truth" but then there was) a hiatus, the child entirely disappeared. That was tlte last weeH m March. He met Miss Gunning and intimated that he had arranged to take care of the child, and that : he would relieve her of its care. She asked him where it was designed for, and he replied that a childless couple out, m the sivbiiribs were only too willing .to take it over. But the alleged father didn't want anything'- m the nature of a transaction done m the pure light of day. What -resulted, however, was that Hellyer is alleged to have asked his erstime paramour to leave town for Papanui by the iO p.m. tram— a most unearthly hour for a 'girj to leave the. city with a few weeks old infant— and to meet him at a. point beyond the Papanui School. Whatever the woman thought) can only be conjectured, but certain it is. if she can bo believed, that he asked her to bring along the infant draped m black so that people would not be able to conjecture what it was, even if they noticed it. 'Die mother wanted to know, very naturally, what was going to be done with the child a«d was informed that it was to be adopted and that he was to pay thirty 'quid therefor. The moth'Ci; didn't like the look of things and hied her along to the tryst-ing place with a woman friend: The two women met Hellyer, so they allege, amile beyong the tram terminus on the Papanui road, and they were sto jped by a v.'liistle. Hellyer, it is said, was m waiting, a bicycle by his side, and he took his girl away from her friend aid t:\lked fcr some time. She want-\ ed to go with Hellyer to the place where the youngster was to be housed, but he point 'blank refused to let her, according to her yarn. The little mite was clothed m a jacket belonging to herself, and it was carried m a basket m which was placed a feeding bottle. As he was going away, .Hellyer said that the couple lived at Styx ami that was where the child Would be found. He didn't mention their names. What became of that little atom is at time of writing

SHROUDED IN MYSTERY ; it was only a few weeks old and could bo easily dealt with, but whether it was buried or drowned m the river Styx, nooortv vet knows. However, the facts appertaining to its birth which had appeared m "Truth," and m no other Christchurch paper, were investigated fov i-ho police authorities, aird tfiiey havo never rested until they got to what they think is the bottom' of it. After the child had teen disposed of by the mother it appears that she was solicitous re;ranlin<K its welfare and wrote to .Hellyer, asking himva few questions. No reply was vouchsafed, but the .coppers w.ere en the go^ af-

terwards wrote to the girl ami asked for five quid, being the cost of her liv.tag at the hotel m which she was confined. Such unutterable cheek is quite inconceivable. As a matter of fact the proprietor of the hotel didn't charge the unfortunate woman nearly that much, but there is nothing like being a 'good "haver" when you. can. And even the oash owing to the hotel gent hasn't been paid yet. However, that is merely by the way. The sleuth hounds of the force had a very interesting "' chat with Hellyer at the office, or warehouse of Robert j Malcolm and Co., after ■ having j heard the the story of the victimised j'.K-irl, they wanted to know where the sfaJhy was. His yarn then, according to the 'Tecs, was that, he had sent the kiddie to Wellington, ami that it had there -bfceai Mooted by some "kind people." But that vague, evasive statement didn't suit the police and next day Tecs Kennedy, and Bishon paid a v pall on Hellyer, and then he varied his statement, and said absolutely that he had never received the child from its mother. They left him wondering at THE VARIANCE OP STATEMENTS, but the gent got his cut and did a get. Now, the worst place for a man to get to is a small country place when he is m trouble ; he knew he was m trouble, apparently, because he did a polite get away the very next morning - Then the sleuths looked round for him, and heard that he was m Belfast and was m hiding m a stable there. Belfast is a one pub town that no one should go to if he wants to.jset clear from trouble, and of all the" things he should do, hiding m a stable was the worst. Tec?Bishop -and Bade and Constable Pratt, of Belfast surrounded his nibs and demanded of him that he should come forth. As it was just tucker time h^ had to comply with the hungry force within, 'him, tout he had no chance to do so until he had compassed a long seven miles. However, he had tucker at the Christchurch police station where a fine menu awaited ivinr, hut it was devoid of some of the luxurties to which he had been accustomed. He looked downcast and sorrowful, especially when he ascertained from quite official information i that he was going to be charged with the theft of a bike, valued at £17, It appears, if tlve police arc to be believed, that, the! -accused, Hellyer, purchased a hike for £17 on the time payment cursed system, and that he had only paid £15 off it ; consequently he owed tfos remainder and shouldn't 'have parted with the machine for £7 10, as he is alleged to have done without due consideration. When the murder case was called at the Stipeiidary Magistrate's Court on the following Monday morning the accused was represented by Mr Harper. Hellyer was then charged with, mairdering a child named Clifford. James Gunning on or about 'the 2nd March last. j Detective • Ohrystal asked for. a remand until Tuesday the 30th: inSt; and the application was granted. The second charge' of larceny of a bicycle was also adjourned to tlie 1 same date. It was alleged that he j sold a £17 bike, on which he had paid a couple of mud, for £7 10 s. As this is alleged to be a breach of bailment or something Qf the <sort J the cove is supposed to be subject j to a charge of larceny, or some other disease. It was later m the day that a most sensational incident happened. ■Hellyer had been taken from the Police Court to the police cell and was I subsequently served with the usual fare for dinner. It was a 3 o f clqck that some remand prisoners were being marshallod for Lyttelton gaol, where the "remands'" are taken temporarily, that it was found he was lying on the floor of his cell m a ! state of stupefaction. Assistance was called, and it. ..was soon seen that Hellyer was. very ill and suffering great agony.. Dr Symes ordered his removal to the hospital.' an express being requisitioned for the purpose. However, restorative and other measures usual to cases of poisoning- (for j it was thought- he had taken poison) were taken ri:rht away, but they proved abortive. Five hours later the man who mimht have been the prominent figure m , • ' A, BIG TRIAL had passed out. Hellyer was searched like all other prisoners, and his belongings, such as they were, were put away m the strong room. Included m this little lot was a small phial which contained some white tabloids, and l&rber on he asked Constable Wright for the phial, saying that he was 'being tortured with toothache, and that the contents of that, phial relieved it. He was accordingly supplied with the contents by a generous constable, but the latter kept the little bottle. It is said that those white taibioids, or white substances,, were really a toothache antidote, but if that was so, where did he get the poison from ? He must have had something m that line concealed m his pockets. A great deal of comment has been made upon the action of the policeman m giving him the phial. But the thing looked innocent enough, and it would be a hard hearted man indeed who could stand by and witness a fellow creature suffering the agonies of toothache without offering him something to relieve it. Still, when a man is on his trial for murder every precaution shew W be taken, and no doubt, next time a prisoner asks that constable for a toothache tabloid he won't get it. In the meantime the police are busy huntine; for the body of the infant.